260 SD Winterize Question

[john murphy]

I've recently purchased a 260 Sundeck (first boat) and had some question concerning winterizing (draining the engine). The engine is a 350 HP and has a blue wing nut drain located at the very botton of the engine. It's almost impossible to reach with your finger tips. I'm having a difficult time turning it and releaseing the water from the engine block. When I try to turn it it doesn't budge, I'm alittle afraid of using pliers. So my question is: 1. Is there a recommended tool? 2: Does lefty loosy, righty tighty apply. 3.: Are there any more drain points that I should be made aware of?

 

[StressAweigh]

There is a drain on the side of the block and one on each of the exhaust manifold see #5 on the diagram below for the block plug and #9 on the exhaust manifold

 

[Blueone]

There are a number of configurations...for mine alone there are 3 different drain configurations...I have 4 blue plugs so you need to look at the manual for your specific engine to know for sure how many you have. There are pdf manuals on this site, not sure now where they are. Mine do unscrew counterclockwise I don't think a bit of kelp with a pair of pliars would hurt... I know I have to really stretch to get to my two lower plugs

 

[skibum]

One of mine was stuck last year. I used pliers and the wings broke off. Fortunately, once the top if broke off, it backed right out with a stubby flat blade screwdriver.

The blue plugs are cheap. MM has them in stock

 

[wingless]

Every year when I winterize I never use those drain plugs. I don't know if they work or not.

Instead, I pull the raw water hose off the seacock and stick it into a 5 gal bucket of blue. The engine raw water pump is used to force the anti-freeze through the system.

That takes care of winterizing that part of the system.

 

[techmitch]

Every year when I winterize I never use those drain plugs. I don't know if they work or not.

Instead, I pull the raw water hose off the seacock and stick it into a 5 gal bucket of blue. The engine raw water pump is used to force the anti-freeze through the system.

That takes care of winterizing that part of the system.

you should remove all of the drain plugs at least once a year in order to flush out any rust deposits that accumulate and believe me they do!!!

 

[wingless]

Every year when I winterize I never use those drain plugs. I don't know if they work or not.

Instead, I pull the raw water hose off the seacock and stick it into a 5 gal bucket of blue. The engine raw water pump is used to force the anti-freeze through the system.

That takes care of winterizing that part of the system.

you should remove all of the drain plugs at least once a year in order to flush out any rust deposits that accumulate and believe me they do!!!

Maybe, but when I'm flushing crud I prefer to remove hoses and reverse flush.

But, the OP was how to winterize, not flush. As stated, run anti-freeze through the whole system, instead of counting on drain plugs.

All the water won't drain when opening the plugs, so flush instead.

 

[84 SR268]

i use needle nose plyers on block wing nuts,,9/16 wrench on manifolds bottom drains some times i have to remove block wingnut pet cocks unclog with like a 3/16 wire ,,i then pull thermastat housing and with themastat , reinstall plugs pout in RV antifreeze thru top of manifold where housing bolts up,,, till full with 50 below RV antifreeze